7 Questions with April Gargiulo of Vintner’s Daughter

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

Posted By Susannah Compton

Vintner’s Daughter launches today at Integrity Botanicals. To celebrate this beautiful line, we’re chatting with the woman behind it all—April Gargiulo—to learn more about the Active Botanical Serum and the vision behind the brand. If you’re excited to try Vintner’s Daughter (see my review to find out why you should be!) then be sure to enter the Vintner’s Daughter giveaway at the end of the interview.

Susannah: I first became aware of Vintner’s Daughter when Into the Gloss ran a review about the Active Botanical Serum titled “The Face Oil To End All Face Oils”. Why do you think ITG fell so hard for your serum, and how did that early attention impact your business?

April: I think ITG fell hard for our Active Botanical Serum for a couple of reasons. First because it is a very finely crafted product which one understands immediately upon opening and second because it is a face oil that performs more like a multi-correctional serum. We don’t have a publicist, so it was a big surprise and had an immediate impact on sales and visibility. I am very grateful to those amazing ladies.

You grew up in and around Napa Valley and actually ran your family’s winery for about 10 years, right? How has that experience influenced the direction you’ve taken with Vintner’s Daughter? What edge did your winery experience give you that other new lines might not have?

Yes, Gargiulo Vineyards was my first start-up and taught me so much about how to maintain the highest commitment to quality and expression. At Vintner’s Daughter, not only is our philosophy deeply routed in fine winemaking, but our formulation process actually borrows from it.

Can you tell us about the process of formulating the Active Botanical Serum? What were your goals? How did you select ingredients?

Our goal was to make the most active, multi-correctional, toxin-free serum on the market. We believe that in order to do this, you must start with the very finest ingredients and honor these ingredients through an uncompromising formulation process. Borrowed from fine winemaking, our formulation process begins with a temperature-controlled enfleurage that infuses every drop of our targeted foundation oils with skin healing phytonutrientsand skin firming phytoceramides. Many products use heat processed extracts because they are less expensive and time intensive. We believe that these off the shelf extracts can’t offer the same level of skin nutrition as our gentle, temperature-controlledinfusion process does. Skin is able to fully recognize our plant actives as the nutritive building blocks of its own structure, thus becoming more resilient and youthful.

The Active Botanical Serum includes some ingredients that can be photosensitizing like lemon and bergamot. Is the serum appropriate for daytime use or should it be reserved for nighttime use?

I suggest starting with Active Botanical Serum at night using Push /Press and then using during the day as well with proper sun protection (hat and/or sunblock.)

What kind of results can people who use the Active Botanical Serum expect to see?

Brightening, elasticity and clarity are among the most common results. Hormonal, acne-prone and aging skin especially love Vintner’s Daughter. I receive emails all the time from woman of all ages who are amazed by the results. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really is a game changer.

Have you always been into natural skincare? Can you give us a quick snapshot of how you’re caring for your skin?

I wasn’t born with perfect skin, so yes I have always been into skincare, but not always natural skincare. I’ve tried everything. It wasn’t until I became pregnant that I opened my eyes to the chemicals in my skincare. Today I am very simple. I cleanse, tone and apply Vintner’s Daughter using Push / Press Technique. I am a recreational mask user.

Do you expect to grow your line with additional products or are you happy doing one thing really well?

82 thoughts on “7 Questions with April Gargiulo of Vintner’s Daughter”

I have been wanting to try this serum ever since i started hearing about it months ago! For someone with problem skin their whole life (i’m now in my later 30’s) trying this could be a game changer for me. I would love to win this serum!

The question is how could I not be excited about this chance to win a much buzzed-about product! It didn’t say if the giveaway is open internationally or not so I’m crossing my fingers that it is. The way the serum is formulated to the choice of ingredients captivates me so it would be quite a treat to try this. I also love that the brand only has this one product still.

I received a small sample at A Night For Green Beauty and it was such a tease! This serum not only smelled amazing, it made my skin glow and feel fantastic-I need to add this magic potion to my daily skin care routine!

I have heard so many rave reviews of the serum and would love to try this! I especially love that this is the only product in their line, which to me speaks volume about how much love and hard work has gone into it!

I’m so excited to try this serum! My face is a little picky so I like to keep it simple – cleanse, tone, oil – and the ingredient list doesn’t contain any of my suspected problem ingredients. I’m in deep with non-stop teething/night waking with baby #2 and am seeing my face age quickly; they say kids keep you young but dang, if mine haven’t made me look old! Of course I still get congestion and dry patches with my combination skin, so being able to address all my skin challenges with one serum would be lovely. If I don’t win the giveaway (a girl can hope!) then I hope you’ll be offering a trial size for purchase, so I can test it out

Oh dear, I entered the giveaway on Instagram and Facebook (I don’t Twitter, thank you for using Instagram!) but am having trouble with the share with friends application. I shared on Facebook and email but don’t see a way to check it off?

Whenever a product comes along that offers hope for people with acne-prone skin like myself I have to try it! Unfortunately the vast majority of products that make these claims aren’t credible and I end up spending what seems like millions of dollars only to be disappointed. Hearing from a respected and trustworthy source that this serum is the REAL thing…well I just can’t wait to get my hands on some. One question though, what is push/press? Seems like a method of application that I’m not familiar with.

I love the time and care that is put into making a safe and from what I’ve read an effective skincare line. I’m getting a little older now and I want to continue taking care of my skin the healthy way!!!

I’ve read so many great things about this! Without trying firsthand, it might be too much of a leap for me financially. But I’d be happy to pare down my products to purchase this if it works for my skin! From the review Susannah gave, the scent would be perfect for me, and it’s great to hear April say it’s good for hormonal and acne-prone skin. Thanks for hosting great giveaways!

Oh ! How much I’d love to try this ! After reading about it on ITG and it’s glowing review I was very interested… Now, after reading your test review I’m even more so. My mature skin would greatly benefit from it!
Thank you for this awesome giveaway!

The concept of this serum being crafted and aged like a fine wine sounds ridiculously indulgent and amazing. The color is also rich and gorgeous. I can only imagine how heavenly the bouquet of this serum would be based on the list of the essential oils that are used to enhance it. This would truly be an extravagant purchase for pampering oneself. Yes please!!!

I’m not on social media (I’m 68 and just joined email) so I can only enter the giveaway by posting a comment. I’m going to be a grandma!!! and I would love to surprise my daughter with this oil. Would this oil be safe for pregnant women to use?

I love the commitment to excellence and they highest quality craftmanship you have! I look forward to trying this amazing serum!!! Especially since I have sensitve, rosacea, dry skin, this sounds A Mazing to correct and heal my facial skin!!! Aloha!

Serums are my biggest splurge on skincare items because I’ve found that they truly have the power to totally transform my skin. Vintner’s Daughter is next on my list of must-try serums after hearing about the infusing process and rave reviews!

I’m so thrilled for a chance to win Vintner’s Daughter’s Active Botanical Face Serum because it’s sounds amazing! I’m looking for a truly natural serum that’s healing and anti-aging to help my skin glow and looks its best! This serum sounds like the perfect fit and I love that the ingredients are manufactured using temperature controls as to not kill the benefits of the plant oils with unnecessary heat. Thanks for offering this giveaway!

Wow! This serum sounds amazing! I would love to try it as my skin is so acne proned from stress and hormones that I don’t know what to do with it anymore. I have tried many products but nothing seems to work long term. I love that such great care and thoughtfulness went into making it. Thank you for doing this giveaway!

Natural is the key why I want to try the serum. I’ve tried products that weren’t natural that seemed to work but finding one that is natural and works is difficult. I want something good for my skin. This must be it.

I have heard great reviews about this serum. I have used several face oils before. My quest for the best face serum is still on. Really want to see how special Vintner daughter’s face serum is. I hope I win this. Thank you Integrity Botanicals for organizing this giveaway!

Hi Lauren! We don’t currently have samples or trial sizes available on our site but if you mention it the comments section at checkout with your next order, I’d be happy to include a nice size sample for you to try.

because so many rave reviews by all the wonderful green beauty bloggers have have piqued my interest in this brand .It would be such an awesome pleasure winning this, it looks absolutely stunning and the ingredients are wonderful.

Thank you so much Terri and Vintners Daughter for this awesome giveaway opportunity! With Terri’s help I have made the leap into green beauty & am not looking back! My skincare regimen is coming along, but I am in serious need of an oil that will not weigh my skin down as since switching over to the green world I have found that most I have sampled have made my skin react and breakout more than usual..This serum/oil sounds lovely and am hoping might be the one to help calm things down. I’m crossing my fingers big time! Xoxox

As someone with sensitive skin, I’m super excited about an active product that I can actually use! Now that I’m in my late 30’s, anti-aging is becoming a focus, but I feel like most of the products on the market are either too active or only address one concern when I have a few (clarity, elasticity, hydration…). This product sounds BOSS!

As a lover of facial oils (only thing that helps my acne prone skin), I am always on the look out for a great facial oil. Rosehip oil is still my favorite but I am intrigued by this oil blend. Would love to try it. Thanks everyone for the giveaway!

I have how amazing and wonderful it is for your skin, I absolutely love that it is “nasty” free! I am 51 and on the lookout for something that “blows my socks off” facial serum and hopefully I will win and get have that aha moment!

Loved learning about this product at this year’s A Night for Green Beauty in Chicago. When my friend saw her sample she immediately started screaming. No joke. Can’t think of a better endorsement than that! As I get older I’m realizing serums are where it’s at, especially for my sensitive/combo skin.

About Susannah Compton

Susannah Compton is the founder and formulator behind Florescent, a line of 100% botanical perfumes she blends in small batches from organic and wild crafted aromatics. Plant-based skincare and cosmetics are a way of life for Susannah, who writes about clean beauty and the
benefits of botanical ingredients for No More Dirty Looks, Thoughtfully Magazine and Integrity Botanicals. Florescent, however, is Susannah’s personal expression of healthy beauty. Susannah has been working with botanical aromatics for years, blending first for therapeutic
purposes before delving into the art of perfumery. Having rarely experienced the depth and complexity of true botanicals in conventional perfume, she learned the art of blending and
created what her heart desired — a scent that would move her the way perfume should. In search of those elevating, ethereal bouquets of scent, Susannah honed her skills behind the perfume bench. She launched Florescent in the spring of 2015 to share the lush experience
and pleasing ritual of real perfume.
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